Saturday, August 16, 2008

Usain Bolt: Fast and Relaxed


"I didn't know I was going to run so fast, but I came out to be a champion, and I was. I just tried to stay relaxed. I'm always relaxing. That's the way to go so fast: relax and just focus.

"I came out to make myself proud, and I did just that. I didn't know I was going to run so fast. But I came out to be a champion, and I was. I didn't come here to worry about the record, I was already the world-record holder."

--Usain Bolt, new 100-meter Olympic sprint champion and world record holder at 9.69 secords.


Bolt could have run much faster than his 9.69 seconds if he had run through the finish line, but he sliced 0.03 seconds off his world record anyway. He celebrated 20 meters early, throwing out his arms and thumping his chest.

"He's the best. There's no stopping him. He could have been faster."

--Asafa Powell, former world-record holder and fellow Jamaican.

"It's not even close. It's everybody catching up with Usain Bolt. He's a legend in his own right. The guy's a phenomenal athlete. He's a freak of nature. He's like Jordan and LeBron, in a league of his own."

--Darvis Patton, U.S.A. Olympic sprinter who finished eighth in the 100 meters.

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